The comparison was simple, lofty and meaningful. Seaver won 311 games in a career that spanned 20 seasons. His most famous work was produced as a member of the Mets, and he remains the only player representing the team in baseball’s Hall of Fame.

The major league portfolio of the 24-year-old Harvey is, obviously, tantalizingly brief. As he prepares to make his 13th career start this weekend, his résumé invites conjecture from experts and daydreaming from fans.

How good a pitcher is he? How good can he be?

After climbing through the Mets’ minor league system, Harvey emerged from the smoke and lights of his own hype to produce a string of scintillating performances. He made his major league debut on July 26 last year and went on to make 10 starts over the rest of the season, notching 70 strikeouts over 591/3 innings.

He has made a seamless transition into his second year. He stifled the San Diego Padres last week to get his first win of the season, shutting them out and striking out 10 during seven innings of work. Earlier this week, against the Phillies, who possess a considerably more skilled lineup, he did about the same, allowing one run and striking out nine through seven more innings.

The next day, Laynce Nix, 32, a Phillies outfielder, said facing Harvey was like hitting against a closer every inning. “That’s what it’s like,” he said, laughing. “He’s throwing stuff that a closer comes out of the bullpen and throws for one inning. But he’s doing it for a game.”

Nix said he was surprised that Harvey was not yet garnering more national attention. But Harvey has turned heads inside opposing dugouts.

Infielder Michael Young, 36, who faced Harvey for the first time this week, was impressed by how well he could pinpoint his pitches to different spots. “Obviously, the guy’s got real good stuff, but nowadays it seems like everyone has good stuff,” Young said. “The thing that really gets hitters’ attention is location. It’s what gets them talking during the game, saying, ‘The guy is locating.’ For a young guy, that was very impressive.”

Over the winter, Harvey appeared to add another level of polish to his curveball and changeup, and the improvement in his secondary pitches has made him more efficient.

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Harvey’s fastball, though, is what has propelled him to this eye-opening start. It can dial up a radar gun and send a charge through fans and teammates. And it has earned him generous comparisons, even if the people doing the comparing have had to reach way back in their memories.

Seaver has come to mind for some, like Manuel. Dwight Gooden has, as well. But, if anything, Harvey’s early success has revealed how long it has been since the Mets have had a dominant right-handed power pitcher.

Dan Warthen, the Mets’ pitching coach, has seemed torn between a reluctance to burden Harvey with expectations and an impulse to share his enthusiasm about him. The enthusiasm often wins out.

“Because of his work ethic, because of his baseball mind, because of his attitude, health will be about the only thing that can get in his way,” Warthen said this week. “And with the good delivery that he has, that shouldn’t be an issue, either.”

Paul DePodesta, the Mets’ vice president for player development, credited Rudy Terasas, the Mets’ scouting director from 2006 to 2010, and Marlin McPhail, one of the team’s scouts, for recognizing Harvey’s qualities early on.

But even as Harvey showed his drive at every level of the organization, DePodesta said the Mets’ current front office, implanted right after Harvey signed, could not help being pleasantly surprised by his early success.

“His consistency and just how good he’s been has been impressive,” DePodesta said. “I don’t think you can expect that from any young player, regardless of their pedigree.”

During his brief time on the team, Harvey has made nit-picking and dissatisfaction his trademarks. After his best starts, he is always singling out his shortcomings, wishing the ones were zeros. Yet he also talks often about being the best, an aspiration that would sound absurd for most players.

From Harvey, it feels intriguing.

“Whatever I’ve done so far, it’s not going to mean anything at all if I don’t keep doing it,” Harvey said this week when asked about the feedback he had received. “I’ve appreciated the praise, but more than anything it becomes fuel for the fire to go out there and try to dominate.”

For all of this, Harvey’s mere presence on the team may be a salve for Mets fans this season. Amid the disquiet of another potential losing season, Harvey’s talent and growth could be one of the compelling story lines. For observers, his 12 starts have whet the appetite for more.

A version of this article appears in print on April 12, 2013, on Page B13 of the New York edition with the headline: A Powerful Fastball Earns a Met Generous Comparisons. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe